Changing Windows Desktop Background

Terry Seagert 126 Reputation points
2026-02-22T13:24:20.9466667+00:00

I have always used a folder called "Background Photos" holding about 90 photos for my dual screen background. These photos are sized for fit both screens. Sized at 3840 X 1080.

Somewhere in the past few days Microsoft changed the background to their photos which only fits one screen (so I have duplicates on both screens).

I have gone to Display Setting -> Personalization -> Background -> Changed it to slideshow -> Browse photos -> and selected my folder again. Told the photos to fit. Now I have my photos again.

Every time the machine re starts the background goes back to Microsoft's photos. I do not understand why.

I have Windows 11 Professional.

What am I missing to keep my photos as background?

Windows for business | Windows 365 Business
Answer accepted by question author
VPHAN 43,075 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-02-22T13:59:52.14+00:00

Hello Terry Seagert,

what you are experiencing is a common synchronization failure where the theme cache becomes corrupted or locked, causing the boot initialization sequence to fail back to the default Microsoft theme rather than loading your custom local path.

To resolve this and rebuild the environment correctly, you must clear the corrupted cache elements directly. Navigate through File Explorer to the directory %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes and delete the TranscodedWallpaper file entirely. In that same directory, double-click the slideshow.ini file to open it in Notepad, delete all internal text to leave it completely blank, save it, and then change the file properties to Read-only. This procedure breaks the loop of the corrupted cache and forces the operating system to establish a fresh configuration mapped to your specific Background Photos folder. Additionally, you must select "Span" in the Personalization interface so the horizontal resolution stretches precisely across both 1920x1080 display panels. Finally, navigate to Settings, Accounts, Windows backup, and disable the Remember my preferences toggle for Personalization to prevent your Microsoft Account from continually pulling a default synced theme from the cloud and overwriting your local configuration during startup.

Hope this answer brought you some useful information. If it has, please consider accepting the answer so that other people sharing the same issue would benefit too. Thank you :)
VP

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  1. Terry Seagert 126 Reputation points
    2026-02-25T13:05:46.1233333+00:00

    I completed all this, it did NOT help. I do not have an IT department, I have admin rights. I do not want a Theme and Windows is up to date.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-02-22T13:24:30.7033333+00:00

    It sounds like your Windows 11 system is reverting to the default Microsoft background settings after a restart. This can happen due to several reasons, including group policies or settings that may be overriding your personal choices. Here are a few steps you can try to ensure your custom background settings are retained:

    1. Check Group Policy Settings: If your computer is part of a domain or managed by an organization, group policies may be enforcing the default background. You can check the Group Policy settings by running gpedit.msc and navigating to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Control Panel -> Personalization. Look for settings related to desktop background and ensure they are not enforced.
    2. Registry Settings: Sometimes, registry settings can also affect background settings. You can check the registry by running regedit and navigating to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System. Look for any entries that might be preventing changes to the desktop background.
    3. Ensure Proper Permissions: Make sure that your user account has the necessary permissions to change the desktop background. If your account is a standard user, you may need administrative privileges to make permanent changes.
    4. Update Windows: Ensure that your Windows 11 is up to date. Sometimes, bugs in the operating system can cause issues with settings not being saved properly.
    5. Create a Custom Theme: After setting your background, consider saving it as a custom theme. This can sometimes help in retaining your settings after a restart. To do this, go to Settings -> Personalization -> Themes and save your current settings as a theme.

    If none of these steps work, you may want to consult with your IT department if you are on a managed device, as they may have specific policies in place that you need to follow.

    References:

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